


Working Gals in a Post-War World

by LinneaKou



Category: Agent Carter (Marvel Short Film), Agent Carter (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wonder Woman (1976), Wonder Woman (2009)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-09
Updated: 2014-06-09
Packaged: 2018-02-03 14:00:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1747193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinneaKou/pseuds/LinneaKou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"They say that someone here managed to make a lady version of Captain America for the homefront," Howard murmured. "There have been whispers of a 'wonder woman' around here." He sighed and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I'd sure like to see this wonder woman, myself."</p><p>A.K.A. The newly-minted S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits one Major Steve Trevor and one Yeoman First Class Diana Prince USNR(WR) after the war ends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Working Gals in a Post-War World

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ficbypen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ficbypen/gifts).



> I said I'd do it, and I'm doin' it. *blows kisses*
> 
> Post One-Shot, adjusting the Wonder Woman season one storyline to fit - think of it as a melding between the seventies show and the 2009 animated film. The skinny: Steve Trevor knows Diana is Wonder Woman. They're platonic friends, with no interest in kindling romance. (In my mind, Steve is played by Nathan Fillion because NATHAN FILLION. Diana is still Lynda Carter.) Wonder Woman is the War Office's best-kept secret, because you'd think if she had been overtly active during WWII, Cap and the others would have heard about her.

Peggy probably should have expected some confusion. To be quite honest, when Howard had talked at large about the new organization to rise from the remains of the S.S.R., she'd been confused herself.

"We all know the war is over," Howard said, grinning in that devil-may-care way he tended to do, "But  _we--_ " he gestured between himself, her, and Dugan, "We know better."

And Peggy  _did_ know better. D-Day and V-E Day were more than a year out, and Steve had been gone even longer than that, but they were still finding pockets of HYDRA's activities. The Red Skull hadn't been joking about the "cut off one head" bit.

She hoped he was rotting in hell, or wherever he was.

But the fact remained: there were still brainwashed madmen running around the world and causing chaos, which led to a clandestine meeting with  _President Truman_.

"I have nothing but deep admiration for Captain America and all of the great feats he accomplished," the President said. He looked tired, older than he actually was. "And he served this country - and every Allied nation - with honor and dignity. The world regrets his loss." He leaned forward, and Peggy had felt something heavy and dense descend onto her in the Oval Office. "But while he did the brunt of the work, there's still cleanup to attend to. Captain Rogers took out Johann Schmidt and left HYDRA headless. Let's hit it hard, and harder, and harder, so they can't get their feet under 'em. Colonel, I want you to finally slay this beast for once and for all."

"Understood, Sir." Colonel Phillips saluted, and Howard and Peggy had exchanged bemused expressions as the president's personal aide led them from the Office.

"We start recruiting immediately," Howard said, and he was bouncing like a small child on Christmas day. "Domestically, there's a certain Brigadier General Blankenship with some promising personnel that we ought to look into."

"Do it." Phillips ordered. "I want you and Agent Carter to vet every single person we bring in. We at the War Office are working on turning Arnim Zola, and it's looking to be a bit easier than we originally thought. Turns out, he wasn't so loyal to the HYDRA cause after all."

Peggy wanted to air her suspicions, but the look on Phillips' face kept her mouth shut. "Any personnel in particular?" she asked Howard instead.

"There's one Major Steve Trevor, United States Air Force. He and a small select group managed to keep domestic terrorism contained. You'd be surprised how many Nazi and HYDRA spies were caught after the fiasco with Kruger," Howard waggled his eyebrows, and Peggy rolled her eyes. Then she blinked.

"Major Trevor? Didn't he go down in a plane over the Atlantic?" She vaguely remembered reading about it in the papers.

Howard shrugged. "He turned back up, obviously. Been pretty tight-lipped about it, as far as I can tell."

"Go and see if he's as good as Blankenship makes him out to be," Phillips nodded at the both of them as they strode out into the sunlight. The sky was cloudless and there was a slight breeze over the White House's lawn. The armed guards eyed them until they flashed their identification, then they were allowed to make their way over to Howard's car.

"Major Trevor should still be in DC," Howard said. "In fact, he's probably still at the War Office."

"How fortunate," Peggy said benignly. Phillips gave her a long look, and climbed into the front passenger's seat. Peggy caught Howard's eye as she slid into the back.

Howard shot her an apologetic look, and Peggy sighed.

"Might as well get cracking on with it, then," she said, and she heard Howard mutter "hear, hear," from the front.

 

Phillips peeled off from them at the War Office, and Howard and Peggy were led to Major Trevor's office by a round-faced, cheerful and rather plump Corporal Etta Candy WAAC. The young woman chattered happily about peacetime dynamics, how there were only sporadic incidents for the War Office to look into, and how this meant she was able to focus on furthering her studies and career. Peggy found herself fighting an indulgent smile at the Corporal, while Howard openly grinned and laughed when she said something particularly funny. He had poor Corporal Candy blushing by the time they stepped into the office.

"Oh, Diana! This is Agent Margaret Carter and Mister Howard Stark of the S.S.R." Corporal Candy gestured at the dark-haired, bespectacled young woman at the desk outside Major Trevor's door. The placard on her desk read YEOMAN FIRST CLASS DIANA PRINCE USNR(WR).

Yeoman Prince rose from her seat and shook hands with them both as Corporal Candy introduced her and continued her chatter. Peggy had a feeling she'd know the inner workings of the War Office by the time their visit was over.

"General Blankenship and Major Trevor are due back any minute now. They were up at the prison, interrogating Nazi sleeper agents," Yeoman Prince explained. She gestured at the open chairs in front of the door to the Major's office. "Is there anything I can get you? Coffee?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Peggy answered, and Howard waved it off as well. They both took their seats as Corporal Candy finished talking with Yeoman Prince and dashed off to her office to finish some paperwork.

"So," Howard leaned over and kept his voice low, eyeing the Yeoman. "You believe what they say?"

Peggy made a face. "I haven't heard what they've said. What are you talking about?"

"They say that someone here managed to make a lady version of Captain America for the homefront," Howard murmured. "There have been whispers of a 'wonder woman' around here." He sighed and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I'd sure like to see this wonder woman, myself."

"Of course you would."

"The talk is that Major Trevor credits her with every successful mission since 1942." Howard looked thoughtful. "In fact, she may have been involved in his rescue after the crash."

"I thought he was tight-lipped about it."

"I'm just postulating. Hypothesizing."

"I'm sure you are."

They weren't kept waiting long after that; General Blankenship showed up with Major Trevor, greeted them warmly, and jovially told them outright to count him out for their project. "I've had enough of the war to last me a lifetime, and I've got a nice, relaxing retirement to look forward to." He shook Howard's hand firmly, then Peggy's, which was a welcome departure from the more condescending attitude she'd encountered in Agent Flynn's employment. "In any case, you're going to be well-set with Steve here." He lightly punched Major Trevor on the arm and quickly made his exit.

"He's certainly charming," Peggy remarked, and Major Trevor laughed as they, along with Yeoman Prince, joined him in his office.

"General Blankenship oversaw countless domestic missions in the name of keeping the war from hitting home. I'd say he deserves to not have to be woken up in the middle of the night by a ringing special line. Besides," he added, raising his eyebrows, "his wife threatened to castrate me if I ever interrupted her sleep again."

Howard chuckled. "And that right there is why I'm never getting married."

"Never say never, Howard." Peggy smirked at him.

Howard shook his head as Major Trevor settled into his chair behind his desk. "So there's been talk around the office that you folks are planning on expanding the S.S.R. into something more like a permanent agency?" He sent a meaningful look at Yeoman Prince, who kept her expression carefully blank. Peggy watched with some interest.

"You disagree?" Howard asked.

"Not at all. The little trip we took down to the containment facility today proves more than anything that we need to keep our eyes open and not be lulled into a sense of complacency." Major Trevor steepled his fingers and breathed a heavy sigh. "The Nazi regime has fallen, but there are still people here who believe what they preached. Plus, HYDRA wasn't really a Nazi project by the end of the war, was it?"

Peggy shook her head. "Johann Schmidt officially broke away from the Nazi party around the time Captain America was deployed."

"So there you have it. Two dangerous parties who still have their claws in various parts of the world. Everyone is breathing a sigh of relief, but we all know the war isn't over yet. Not by a long shot."

Peggy and Howard nodded. "We've had the exact same thought," Howard said.

"Well, count me in." Major Trevor grinned and rubbed his hands together. "I know the General is ready for some peace and quiet, but I've still got a few years left of roughhousing in me. But I have one request." He looked at his secretary. "Yeoman Prince comes with me."

"That should be no problem," Peggy said smoothly. "We're looking for the best of the best. Whoever it may be."

Yeoman Prince smiled, and Peggy had the sense that if she took the young woman's glasses off and loosed her hair, she'd be strikingly pretty. "I look forward to working with you."

 

A week later, they had set up Major Trevor and Yeoman Prince in the S.S.R.'s - now called "S.H.I.E.L.D." - hidden home base, sent Dugan on a retrieval mission in Madripoor, and started receiving rerouted funding for the establishment of the new agency.

"Will there be another attempt at the Super Soldier Project?" Yeoman Prince asked Peggy one day in passing.

"Doubtful," Peggy had answered.

They'd been distracted as a swell of the former S.S.R. agents bustled around them. Peggy forgot the conversation entirely.

 

Of all the new recruits from various branches of the War Office, only a few of the decorated veterans ended up treating her with any sort of deference. A good many of the former soldiers, Marines, and sailors preferred to bypass Peggy entirely, receiving orders and assignments from the general or Howard.

Sad to say, Peggy was used to it.

"One day," she said to Yeoman Prince as she angrily sorted surveillance and intelligence files on her desk. "One day, I will live to see men taking orders from women who are their betters." She threw a folder aside, and it smacked into the wall of her office.

"I hope I live to see it as well," Yeoman Prince offered, her tone gentle. "In fact, there's a good chance of it. Change is on the horizon, Agent Carter."

"I bloody well hope so," Peggy grumbled. "These Good Old Boys seem to forget that I was on the front-lines of the Allied-HYDRA war."

Yeoman Prince picked up the fallen folder and set it on the desk. "I empathize," she said simply. "All we have is the knowledge that we are as good as - maybe even better than - every single one of them. We have our experience. A good few of these 'Good Old Boys' haven't seen the outside of an office since 1941," she added wryly.

"But their intelligence gathering is top-notch," Peggy admitted. "And since HYDRA isn't being very overt, we need all the intelligence we can get."

Yeoman Prince actually snorted, and Peggy found herself laughing along with her.

 

Diana showed up with a heated kettle around suppertime, and Peggy looked up from Dugan's encoded reports. "Damn it," she said.

"Don't worry! There's tea." Diana replied, all too cheerful for someone who had spent the entire day inside of an office. She'd been promoted from secretary to actual contributing officer, a role she'd taken to with gusto. Peggy was openly glad Major Trevor had insisted on bringing her in.

"No; damn it, I spent the whole day sifting through useless information. Dugan needs to get the hell out of Madripoor and return to actual civilization immediately, but the general still thinks there's something there." Peggy rubbed her forehead, looking at the report with blurry eyes.

"Admittedly," Diana said, setting a mug next to Peggy's hand, "there have been interesting things going on in the ports. There's talk about some kind of magical cube."

Peggy's head snapped up. "Cube?"

"Yes. I don't think there's any truth to these stories, but from what I've read about the Tesseract, this isn't something we want just lying around." Diana took a sip of her own tea and raised her eyebrows at Peggy.

Peggy sighed and picked up her mug, breathed in the steam. "Again I say: damn it!"

"I'm going to nix on the Tesseract," Howard said, standing in the doorway. "Dugan confirmed that there's no Tesseract in Madripoor. He's just sniffing out HYDRA goons who went to ground after Cap took down the plane." He scratched at his mustache thoughtfully. "I still think it's in the Arctic, where the plane--"

They all fell silent, and Diana was the first to break it. "These things can't stay hidden forever," she said briskly. "And it's only a matter of time before the Tesseract shows up again. You're the best chance to find it, Mister Stark."

Howard closed his eyes. "Lot of good it'll do," he muttered.

"Imagine what kind of energy advancements you could achieve with it," Diana pressed. "You could make that flying car of yours a reality."

Peggy snorted. "Dear god, Howard Stark with a flying car." She pressed a hand to her chest in an imitated heart attack. "The horror."

Howard scoffed at her. "I'm closer than you think, Agent Carter. There will be flying cars by the time my grandkids are running around."

"I thought you weren't getting married anytime soon?" Peggy shot back.

"A man can change his mind."

They all were laughing when the mission phone rang.

There was a moment of utter stillness as the phone blared on Peggy's desk again before she snapped out of her stupor and grabbed at the receiver.

"A HYDRA cell has been able to synthesize a new agent called the Infinity Formula," the controller's voice on the other end said. "Retrieval is vital and required immediately. Two agents recommended for this mission." The controller went on with more mission details, and Peggy furiously scribbled down the information as Diana quickly cleared off their tea and Howard shut the door behind him.

The line cut off, and Peggy looked up at Howard. "How many agents are still here?" she asked.

"Not many, just a few low-level recruits and clerical workers." Howard looked between her and Diana. "How many agents are recommended?"

"Two."

Howard didn't even make a show of thinking. "You going take this one?"

"Yes," Peggy decided. She glanced at Diana, who was looking very serious. "Are you firearms-trained?"

"I am," Diana replied.

"Brilliant. You're with me." Peggy grabbed her briefcase and Diana strode from the room to retrieve hers.

"Don't forget this," Howard said, shoving the shortwave radio into her hand. "After the last fiasco, I made sure it could withstand getting landed on. Good luck."

"Thanks," Peggy said, as Diana rejoined her. "I'll try not to need it."

 

The S.H.I.E.L.D.-issued car, while sadly not one of the flying types, was nondescript enough that they managed to slip out of New Jersey with little fanfare. Peggy took the thoroughfare that would take them into the rural part of New York, filled with nothing but farmlands.

Diana watched the scenery fly by outside the window. "So what do we know about the Infinity Formula?" she asked.

Peggy's hands tightened on the wheel. "It's an attempt to recreate the Super Soldier Serum using the data that HYDRA obtained studying Johann Schmidt."

"The Red Skull," Diana said slowly. "I heard stories that he was a botched attempt, but..."

"He wasn't just botched," Peggy said firmly. "He was an abomination."

"I hope we don't run into any more of him tonight," Diana murmured.

Peggy nodded her agreement. "One was enough."

 

They regarded the ramshackle barn with little ease. It was set in the middle of an overgrown field and lit from within. Peggy belatedly wondered what was wrong with mountain strongholds. Hidden in the sparse treeline at the edge of the property, Diana peered out from around her tree and squinted.

"I don't think there is anyone patrolling," she said, and Peggy made a noise that she wouldn't classify as a grunt.

"Doesn't mean there isn't anyone," she said, and Diana nodded.

They both took off their shoes, unbuttoned their jackets, and took careful pains to make their hair look as unruly as possible. Then they broke cover, making for the barn.

Their cover story, if they needed it, was a broken-down car on the road back a few miles. Peggy had already managed to coach her nasally American accent, while Diana had adopted a slight Southern drawl.

They had almost made it to the barn doors before the sound of a shotgun being cocked made them freeze in their tracks.

"Who the hell are you?" a man shouted from above.

"I'm so sorry!" Diana trilled, the twang heavily pronounced. "Our car broke down just up the road up there, and we were wonderin' if you folks had a phone we could use?"

"Bullshit!" another man shouted, and shadowed figures appeared on the side of the barn, silhouetted against it. Peggy was finally able to see the holder of the shotgun, leaning out of a window from the rafters level.

Peggy palmed her pistol hidden in her jacket.

"Wait!" Diana whispered. She fixed a tight smile on her face. "If y'all don't have a phone, we'll just be leavin'--"

"You're not going anywhere, Agent Carter," said one of the shadows, with a heavy German accent.

Peggy cursed and drew her gun, but was forced to dodge to the side as the man up top fired at her. She rolled and aimed for him while Diana took one of the grounded assailants in a full-body tackle. Her thin frame belied unbelievable strength, and the man went flying into the barn wall. Diana grabbed another man by his shirtfront and threw him hard enough to shatter the wood.

Peggy managed to shoot the shotgun wielder in the shoulder and the hand, forcing him to drop his weapon, and took a moment to stare in shock at the damaged wall.

 _I'd sure like to see this wonder woman_ , Howard's voice said in the back of her mind.

"I really had hoped I wouldn't have to do that," Diana said briskly, before making her way to the opening she'd created.

Peggy caught herself staring, mouth agape, before she shook herself and readied her gun again. "Diana--"

Then the gunfire started up inside.

"DIANA!"

There were a series of  _ping_ s and the sounds of ricochets, and Diana shouted.

Peggy hurried forward as quickly as she could without shoes, just in time to witness Diana batting the spray of bullets away as easily as she would swat a fly.

"What the hell?" Peggy demanded as soon as the gunfire died down, and Diana sighed and shrugged.

"It's a gift," the other woman answered, her sky-blue eyes pleading.

Peggy had already put two-and-two together. "What are we playing around for? The Infinity Formula is our mission!"

Diana grinned, a savage grin that made Peggy very glad they were on the same side. Yeoman Prince began to spin on the spot, arms outstretched, until there was a flash of light and a clap of thunder.

Peggy picked up her suitcase and covered her eyes with it until the light died down, and was unsurprised to see the legendary Wonder Woman standing next to her.

"It's been over a year since I got to fight true evil," Diana said.

"Let's make up for lost time," Peggy agreed, snapping together her rifle.

Diana nodded, making her curly black hair tumble. They stepped into the fray.

"Now, gentlemen," Peggy called out amid the  _bang_ of her gun. "There are ladies present, so behave yourselves!"

Diana laughed as she continued to block the bullets with her bracers. "Oh, Peggy dear, these ruffians aren't gentlemen in the least!"

"I suppose you're right," Peggy felt a smirk turn her lips up. She nailed a guard in the leg and then ran forward, swinging her rifle like a club to knock two more unconscious. Beside her, Diana had already leapt into hand-to-hand combat, trading blows with a man twice her size. She managed to box his ears, dislocate his jaw, and knee him in the groin before picking him up with little struggle and throwing him at the three men who were rushing forward to face her. They stayed down.

Once the dust settled, Peggy dropped her rifle and drew her pistol again. "The formula," she said urgently.

Diana nudged one of the groaning HYDRA goons with her booted toe and rolled him over. She began speaking to him in perfect German: " _Where did you hide the Infinity Formula?_ "

The man spat at her, and Diana shoved him back, knocking his head against the barn floor.

Meanwhile, Peggy overturned the table with the abandoned card game, upended various canisters that ended up being filled with milk, and peered into the empty stalls. "Damn it," she swore.

"Don't worry, Peggy dear!" Diana called, unspooling the lasso on her belt. She set her unfortunate HYDRA man upright and wrapped the golden rope around him before repeating her question.

" _It's in the last stall,_ " the man grunted, looking infuriated.  _"Buried in the hay_."

Peggy dashed down to the aforementioned spot and started digging. Within seconds, her fingers met something hard and metallic. She pulled a metal canister free of the hay and brushed it off. "Got it!"

" _Stay down,_ " Diana warned the guard, who growled at her. " _Well, if you're going to be like that_." She backhanded him, and he slumped forward in unconsciousness.

Peggy rejoined Diana at the makeshift door. "This is an awful lot of liquid," she commented.

Diana eyed it distrustfully. "I think Howard should have a look at it first."

"You read my mind. Is that one of your powers as well?" Peggy smiled to show she was teasing.

Diana laughed and they turned to set off into the darkness.

"Before I forget," Peggy added, clasping Diana's bare shoulder. "You're with me on every assignment from here on out."

"It would be my pleasure."

**Author's Note:**

> Raise your hand if you can't wait for Agent Carter's TV series. (It's airing early next year, either January or February 2015!)
> 
> And the entire Wonder Woman series (all three seasons!) is available on DVD through various retailers, or for instant purchase and streaming on Amazon, VUDU, and iTunes.
> 
> No excuses. Go watch.


End file.
